Origin

Amber comes from Arabic ‘anbar, which also meant ‘ambergris’ a wax-like substance used in the manufacture of perfume that originates as a secretion of the sperm whale. See also electricity. Much more appealing is amber nectar, which was popularized as an advertising slogan for Fosters lager from 1986. It goes back much further than that, though, and has been a slang term for beer since the 1890s, especially in Australia.